About us

At Watson Helsby we are executive headhunters based in London working exclusively in the area of communications, corporate affairs and reputation management. Our experienced consultants have held senior positions in communications and corporate affairs functions, both client-side and in agencies.

We have spent many years analysing the capabilities and competencies that leaders of these functions need to exhibit in order to be effective in an organisation, and particularly to be credible at the top table. We have partnered with a leadership and psychology consultancy firm with close links to Oxford University’s Saïd Business School to develop tailored (to the functions into which we recruit) profiling tools to assess these leadership capabilities and competencies more methodically and with greater rigour.

Though based in London we undertake executive searches for roles that are based in Europe and, on occasion, further afield.

How a executive search firm works may not seem intrinsically interesting, but it is where much of the value is added. There are three main things that define and inform our approach. All of these have helped ensure that the company has grown in the best way possible: by producing results that lead to successful long-term relationships.

A relentless curiosity

We continuously and relentlessly gather intelligence about the functions into which we recruit and publish widely respected research. Not only is this a source of valuable insight and ideas to our clients, it emboldens us to challenge their thinking. It also helps cement our status as a trusted adviser.

We also never stop looking for exceptional talent. It’s why we look where others don’t and why we never shy away from thinking laterally and offering up surprising candidates.

An enviable network

We have built, and never stop enhancing, a network that provides an invaluable source of candidate insights and intelligence.

High standards

This applies equally to our client service levels and to the quality of our interviewing and assessment. We are unashamedly selective. Indeed it has been said that our interviews with candidates are “as thorough an interview as you can get”. We aim to give you a headache – by presenting you with a shortlist of such quality, you will be presented with a genuinely difficult choice.